Creel



Sept 22, 1931. w. MARCROFT ET AL.

CREEL Filed July 14. 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 22, 1931.

w. MARCROFT ETAI CREEL I Fil ed July 14, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Spt. 22,1931. w. MARCROFT ETAL 1,824,356

CREEL Filed Ju1 '14, 1928 a Sheets-Sheet :5

LQ JUULQJUUUU JLQJLIUUL? Patented Sept. 22, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE WILLIAM MARCBOF'I, OI QBANSTON, AND JOHN A. MOLLOY, OF APPONAUG,RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNORS TO UNIVERSAL WTNDING COMPANY, 01 BOSTON,MASSACHU- SET'I'S, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS- CBEEL Applicationfiled July 14, 1928. Serial No. 292,872.

This invention relates to creels for holding cops, cones or packages ofyarn, thread or the like to deliver the strand material therefrom invarious processes of the textile art.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved creel adapted tosupport a plurality of nonrotatable cops, cones or in packages to adaptthe strand material to be rawn off over the end thereof at a high rateof speed without interferencefrom ballooning and with a uniform tensionon all of the ends. Another object of the invention is to rovide a creelin which the supplies are c osely associated to economize in space whilepermitting free access to the cops and their holders for convenience 1niecing up the ends and in creelmg and An ther object of the invention isto provide a creel wherein the strand-governing or separating means'maybe swung out of the way to permit access to be had to the supply-holdersfor the purpose of creeling and dofiing, and in piecing up.

Further objects of the invention are, in general, to (provide a creelfrom which the urn, threa or other strand material may warped ortransferred at high speed while at the same time delivering the endsundera moreconstant and uniform tension to improve the quality of thefinished prodnet.

The present invention may be embodied in a creel having a form ofconstruction such as described in the following specification andillustrated by wayof example in the accompanying drawings. In thedrawig. 1 is a front elevation of the improved creel shown as embodiedin a preferred form of construction, duplication of the parts beingomitted for the sake of clearness;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the creel structure shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of a portion of the creel showing thestrand-governing means or separators in both operative and inoperativeposition;

. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the manner of creeling anddofiing the cops arators used on the creel.

In deliverin yarn, thread and other strand materia from non-rotatablecops or other supply packages the resistance to the draft on the strandsvaries considerably at different points in the delivery. When the copsor supply packages are full, the strands deliver with comparativelylittle resistance owing to the relatlvely large diameter of the packageand the considerable amount of yarn contained in each coil unwoundtherefrom; while, as the package is reduced in diameter, the coilscontain much less yarn and consequently mustuncoil much faster. Thisincrease in the speed of unwrapping of the coils throws the yarnoutwardly under the action of centrifugal force, producing what istermed ballooning.

For the purpose of controlling the delivery of the ends from the creelunder a constant tension, the yarns are guided throughly the strands arethrown out or released from the tension-devices and become entangled inthe projecting parts of the creel. As one feature of the presentinvention, the

creel is provided with means adapted to minimize the extent ofballooning of the strands and thereby prevent entanglement of the yarns,such means being so constructed that when it is necessary to piece upthe ends or to doif and re-creel the supplies, the strands adjacentthereto may be separated or parted and the separators themselves movedout of the way to give access to the supplies and their holders.

Referrin first to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, he preferred form ofconstruction of the creel as herein illustrated comprises a framework orgrill constituted by vertical rods or uprights 11 and 12. Th:v rods 11and 12 may be supported in socketed feet 13 mounted on a suitable base14: hearing casters 15 which permit the creel to be thereto by bolts orother means. The uprights 11 may be braced from the base 14' by inclinedstruts 20, the lower ends of which are received in sockets 21 fixed tothe base 14, while their upper ends are fastened to thelaterallyrojectmg arms of brackets 22 mounted on t e tie-rods 16.Preferably, the struts 20 are provided at each end of the framework asshown in Fig. 1.

As shown in Fig. 2, the rearward uprights 11 of the frame are of heavierconstruction than the forward rods 12, being adapted to support thesupply-holders 23 for the cops or packages which are preferably in theform of cross-wound cones The cones C may be Wound on suitable coptubesor yarn-receivers which are slid onto the supply-holders 23 and retainedin place by suitable means as usually employed for this purpose.Preferably, the supply-hold-.

. ers 23 are tilted upwardly so that the weight of the cones tends tohold them in place thereon.

In the present construction the supplyholders 23 are arranged in pairsto su port two cones from a single bracket 24. s illustrated in Fig. 3,the bracket 24 has a central recessed portion adapted to be clampedaround the upright 11 by means of a U- k bolt 25. The looped portion ofthe bolt 25 endgages around the rod 11 opposite to the si e engaged bythe recessed portion of the bracket 24. The arms of the bolt 25 passthrough spaced openings in the bracket 24 and projecting therebeyond arethreaded for the reception of nuts 26 which are screwed snugly againstthe bracket to draw the parts together.

The manner of mounting the brackets 24 on the uprights 11 is such thatthey may be adjusted vertically on the creel to locate thesupply-holders 23 in proper relation with respect to their associatedtension-devices or other strand-guiding means through which the yarnsdraw. It will be noted from Figs. 1 and 2 that the su ply-holders 23 arearranged on the uprig ts 11 in parallel rows, the construction of thebrackets 24 and the spacing of the uprights 11 being such that t e conesC are uniformly spaced apart both vertically and horizontally. The useof duplex supply-holders for the pairs'of cones ing the material carrieby the creel. The

tension-devices 30 are preferably mounted in pairs on the smallerforward rods 12 of the creel frame. In the form as herein shown thetension-device .30, illustrated in detail in Fig. 3, comprises a pair ofdisks 31 mounted on a in or stud 32 projecting upwardly from a racket33. The bracket 33 is provided with a central hub 34 adapted to embracethe rod 12, with a set-screw 35 em loyed for clam ingit in placethereon.

he tension-bracket 33 is preferably of duplex construction havingsimilarly formed C, shelf-portions 36 disposed on opposite sides of thehub 34. Each portion 36 of the bracket 33 is rovided with an angularlyformed arm 3 carrying a guide-hook 38 for the strand 3 The inner portionof the arm 37 has an opening 39 therein through which the strand 3 drawsas it leads from the cone 0. From the guide-hook38 the strand y passesbetween the tension-disks 31 and around the pin 32', and thence drawsoutwardly therefrom around a second guidebook 40 on the bracket 33.After the strands y from the whole series of supplies or cones C havebeen threaded through the tensiondevices in the manner as aboveexplained the ends are drawn oil to one side as shown in Fig. 3 andcarried to the warping machine or other apparatus in which the yarn isto be converte Due to the high speed at which the strands draw throughthe tension-devices 30, the unwrapping of the coils from the cones Ccauses the strands to fly outwardly under. centrifu al force, resultingin the ballooning of t at portion of the ends extending between thesupplies and the tension-devices 30. The balloonin may vary considerablyduring the unwin ing of the yarn, alternately increasing and decreasingas the resistance is lessened or augmented, res ctively, at the cone.Frequently, the bal oonin becomes excessive and the strand is whip dforwardl toward the tension-device so t at it is liab e to becomeentangled on the pins 32 and guide-hooks 38 and 40. Should the strandbecome caught or entangled in the parts of the tension-devices, furtherdelivery of the end from the creel would be prevented 1mm a and the yarnstrained and broken. In such case the process for which the yarn isbeing delivered must be stopped to piece up the broken strand orstrands. Frequent interruption in the operation of the apparatus fromsuch causes will therefore greatly reduce production and increase thecost of the product. It is therefore desirable to provide the creel withmeans for reventing excessive ballooning of the stran s to eliminateentanglement and breakage of the ends and the present invention providesan improved device forthis pur ose.

In the preferred form 0 construction as herein shown the means forpreventing excessive ballooning of the yarn in the creel comprises aseries of vertically disposed baffle-plates or separators 41 which arearranged in the path of the strands drawing between the cones C and thetension-devices 30. The separators 41 are preferably constructed in theform of rectangular strips of sheet-metal, see Fig. 5, and areperforated along their length to provide a plurality of opemngs 42through which the strands are adapted to lead. The openings 42 in thesefparators 41 may be circular in shape and o generous size tofacilitate the threading of the ends therethrough. The separators 41 arehinged to the frame of the'creel by means as next described to adaptthem to be shifted in position for a purpose as later explained.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 5, each separator 41 is provided with aplurality of U- shaped yoke-members 43 constituting the hinges on whichit turns. The hinge-members 43 are preferably constructed fromsheet-metal and attached tothe metal strip 41 by means of rivets, boltsor the like, the arms of the members being provided with alined openings44 for receiving the hingepins. A separator 41 is disposed at the rearof each vertical series of tension-devices 30, and for the purpose ofhingedly mounting them on the creel the forward rods 12 carry brackets45, one for each of the hingemembers 43 on the separator.

The bracket 45, shown at the right in Fig. 3, has a notched oryoke-shaped portion 46 embracing the rod 12 with a setscrew 47 thereinfor clamping the bracket to the rod. An arm 48 projecting laterally fromthe clamp-portion 46 of the bracket is provided with an offset lug 49adapted to be straddled by the arms of the hingemembers 43 on theseparators 41. Preferably, the arm 48 extendsoutwardly and rearwardlyfrom the rod 12 and the hingemember 43 of the separator 41 is joinedthereto by means of a pin 50 passed through its openingsand a hole inthe lug 49. The arm 48' terminates in an angularly disposed stop-fingeror abutment 51, against which the side of the separator 41 bears when 53having an opening 54 into which is,

hooked one end of the spring 55. The opposite end of the spring 55 isanchored to 'the end of an arm 56 projecting laterally from a collar 57surrounding the rod 12 and secured in position by means of a setscrew58.

The cones C or other yarn supplies are applied to the creel from thefront, there being sufiicient space between the pairs of associatedtension-devices 30 to permit the operator to pass the full packagesinwardly therebetween. But with the separators 41 arranged in operativeposition at the rear of the tension-devices the open space be tween therods 12 is reduced to such an extent as to prevent the free passage of afull package through the front of the creel. Accordingly, when'it isnecessary to doff the exhausted packages and re-.creel new cones, theseparators 41 may be folded rearwardly on their hinges to position themat substantially right-angles to their normal relationship on the rods12, as shown by full lines in Figs. 1 and 4, and by broken lines in Fig.3.

s the separators 41 are folded rearwardly their inner edges will engagea step or shoulder 60 on the bracket 45 as shown most clearly in Fig. 3.Inasmuch as the spring 55 is secured to the outer portion of theseparator 41, when the separator is folded rearwardly the spring will becarried from one side of the hinge to the other, thereby tending to holdthe separators against the .step 60. The retention of the separators 41in boththeir 0 erative and inoperative positions is there ore automatic,the operator being only required to swing the separator to a slightextent to carry the spring across center.

In the operation of the creel the plurality of ends from the cones C orother supplies livers may be carried on at a faster rate of productionand with less wastage of the 3., It will be observed that in addition tothe advantages above pointed out the present improved creel provides amost compact and efficient device for the purpose specified. Theimproved apparatus permits warping yarns at a maximum rate of speed, andwhen it is necessary to stop the machine for the purpose of replenishingthe supply, the empty cone-tubes or yarn-receivers may be eas ly andexpeditiously dofied and fresh su plies creeled in their place. Theimprove construction of the creel further provides means for partingtherows or banks of strands passing through the tension-devices tofacilitate the finding of broken ends and the operation of piecing themup. The invention therefore greatly increases production and efi'ectsfurther economies in the cost of labor.

While we have herein illustrated and described a preferred form ofconstruction of the improved creel, various modifications may be made inthe structureand arrangement of its parts and its method of applicationto various processes of the textile art without departing from thespirit or scope of the invention.

Therefore, without limiting ourselves to the embodiment of the device asherein shown and described, we claim:

1. In a device of the type specified, the combination of means forsupporting a plurality of supply ackages, means for guiding the strandselivering from the packages, and means intermediate the packages and theguidin -means and spaced at a distance from eacli tween or entanglementthereof, said lastnamed means having circular openings through which thestrands draw, and each opening being large enough to permit the strandto play therein to a certain extent to revolve around the edge thereofwhereby the ballooning action is dampened or quenched to prevent it frombecoming excessive.

2. In a device of the type specified, the combination of means forsupporting a supply package, and means for governing the unwinding ofthe strand as it delivers from the package comprising an element formedfor restricting the ballooning of the strands as they unwind from thepackages to prevent interference therebe with a circular opening throughwhich the strand draws and said opening being of sufficient diameter toallow the strand to play therein to a limited extent to revolve aroundits edge to reduce the ballooning action of the strand, saidgoverning-means being spaced away from the supply and at a distance fromthe point to which the strand delivers and adapted to be moved out ofoperative position to permit access to the supply and itssupporting-means.

3. In a device of the type specified, the combination of a plurality ofsu ply-holders, tension-devices associatedwitli the supply-holders toadapt the strands to be tensioned thereby as they deliver from thesupplies, and means arranged intermediate and located at a distance fromboth the sup lyholders and tension-devices for controllin the ballooningaction of the strands, sai means being provided with openin s throughwhich the strands draw and sai openings being large enough to permit thestrands to play laterally therein to a limited ex' ent to revolve aroundthe edge of the openings but adapted to restrict the ballooning actionthereof in the manner and for the purpose substantially as described.

4. A creel comprising supply-holders for supporting a plurality of yarncops or packages tension-devices arranged in advance of thesupply-holders, and a separator for the multiple strands leading fromadjacent packages to the tension-devices com rising a plate-memberlocated intermediate t e supply-holders and tension-devices and spacedat a distance from the tension-devices, said plate-member being providedwith a series of openings therein through which the strands are-adaptedto draw, each opening being large enough to permit the strand to playtherein to a certain extent to revolve therearound whereby to choke ordampen the ballooning action to prevent it from becoming abnormal.

5. In a creel, the combination of supplyholders for supporting aplurality of yarn cops or packages, tension-devices associated with thesupply-holders to ada t them t0v tension the strands drawing 0 from thesupplies, and a separator located intermediate the supply-holders andtension-devices. and spaced at a distance therefrom for governing theballooning action of the strands as they lead from the supplies to thetensiondevices, said separator having openings of sufficient size toadapt the strands to revolve therearound and being adapted to be shiftedout of operative "position to give access to.

holders for tensioning the strands delivering from the supplies, andseparators between the supply-holders and the tension-devices hingedlymounted to adapt them to be set in position to control the balloonin ofthe strands drawing 03 from the supp 'es and to be shifted out ofoperative position to permit access to the packages and their holders.

7. In a creel, the combination of a plurality of supply-holders forsupporting yarn cops or packages, and a hinged separatorplate arrangedin advance of the supplyholders and provided with a plurality ofopenings through which the strands from the supplies lead to restricttheir ballooning action as they deliver from the packages,

each opening being large enough to permit the strand to play therein andrevolve therearouud and said separator-plate being located at a distancefrom the oint to which the strands deliver from t e supplies and adaptedto be swung out of operative position to give access to the supplies andtheir holders.

8. In a creel, the combination of a plurality of supply-holders arrangedin series, a plurality of tension-devices arranged in series oppositethe supply-holders and supported in fixed relation with respect thereto,a separator arranged between the supplyholders and the tension-devicesand provided with a series of o enings through which the strands draw anof such dimension as to allow the strands to play therein to revolvetherearound as they lead from the supplies to the tension-devices, andmeans for hingedly mounting the separator to adapt it tobe swun out ofthe way to give access to the supplies and their holders.

9. In a creel, the combination of a plurality of supply-holders arrangedin series, a plurality of tension-devices arranged in series andsupported in fixed position in advance of the supply-holders, aseparator provided with a series of openings through which the strandslead as they draw from the supplies to thetension-devices, means forhingedly mounting the separator to adapt it to swing out of operativeposition to give access to the supplies and their holders, anddetent-means for normally maintaining the separator in operativeposition.

10. In a creel, the combination of a frame work'comprising oppositeseries of parallel spaced uprights, supply-holders on the rearwarduprights for supporting a plurality of yarn cops or packages,tension-devices fixed 1y supported on the forward uprights, bearings onthe forward uprights, separatorplates hinged to said hearings to supportthem in position in advance of the supplyholders and provided withopenin s through which the strands lead as they raw from the supplies tothe tension-devices, and

thesupply-holders, aseparator-plate pivotally mounted on the frameworkin advance of the supply-holders and spaced at a distance rearwardly ofthe tension-devices, said separator-plate provided with openings throughwhich the strands are adapted to draw each opening being large enough topermit the strand to play therein to a limited extent to revolve aroundits rim, and means for normally maintaining said separatorplate inoperative position while adapting it to be folded rearwardly on itshinges to give access to the supply-holders and the packages carriedthereby.

12. A device of the type specified comprising means for supporting ayarn co or package, means arranged in advance 0 the crop-supportin meansto guide the yarn leadin from t e cop, a separator-plate arrange inadvance of the cop-supporting means and spaced at a distance rearwardlyfrom the yarn-guiding means, said separatorplate provided with anopening through which the strand from the package is adapted to draw,said opening being largeenough to permit the strand to play therein tofollow a circular path around its rim, and means for maintaining saidseparatorplate in a plane at right-angles to the axis of the cop orackage held on the supporting-means while adapting it to be swung intosubstantially parallel relation with respect to the axis of the packagein the manner and for the purpose substantially as described.

13. In a device of the type s ecified, the combination of asupply-holder 01 supporting a yarn cop or package, a bearing arrangedadjacent the supply-holder, a separator hinged to said bearing to adaptit to be adjusted into operative position with respect to thesupply-holder, means for limiting the swinging movement of theseparator, and resilient means for maintaining said separator in eitheroperative or inoperative position.

14. The combination with a supply-holder for supporting a yarn cop orpackage, of a separator having means through which the strand from thepackage draws to-restrict its ballooning. action, means for mountingsaid separator to adapt it to swing into operative or inoperativeposition with respect to the mirage held on the supply-holder, stops for'ting the swinging movement of the separator, and a spring for holdingthe Sega rator against one stop or the other in accordance with theposition to which it is swung.

15. In combination with means for holdin a yarn-supply, fixedguiding-means arranged in advance of the supply-holder, andballoon-controlling means arranged in advance of the su ply-holder andat a distance rearwardly rom the guiding-means, said controlling-meansbein provided with an annular opening throng which the am draws ofappropriate size to adapt t e yarn to revolve around its rim whereby toquench or restrict its ballooning tendency. i

16. In combination with means for holding a yarn-suppl a fixed guide forthe yarn arranged at a istance in advance of the supply-holder aballoon-controlling device arranged in advance of the supply-holder at adistance rearwardly from the fixed guide and having an annular openingthrough whicl ithe yarn leads from the package to theguide, said openingbeing of appropriate size to allow the yarn to revolve around its rimwhereby to quench or restrict its ballooning tendency, and means formounting said controlling-device to adapt it to be moved out ofoperative position to give access to the supply.

In testimony whereof we hereunto afiix our signatures.

WILLIAM MARCROFT. JOHN A. MOLLOY.

